Issue 36 Sabbath RestBlog | Honey cakes in the desert
Honey cakes in the desert
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 25.09.23
One of the great gifts of Sabbath is the opportunity to lean into God’s provision. This can be seen in the story of manna in the wilderness, told in Exodus 16.
God’s people are on the move, having been delivered from Egypt, and are making their way towards Sinai. But how is this enormous group of people to be fed in the barren wasteland? God’s response includes quail and manna, the latter a frost like substance that settles on the ground (16:14) and can be gathered by hand. It tastes like honey cakes (16:31), and derives its name from the people’s exclamation of surprise when they first see it. ‘What’s this?’ (Man hu?).
Work and trust
The people are instructed to go out and collect manna for themselves and their families. They are to gather only what they need for this day (16:19), because the manna supply will be renewed the next morning. Here is an opportunity to trust in God’s reliability. How tempting it must be to try to ‘bank’ some of it for the next day, just in case the supply fails! And, indeed, this is what some people try to do. But the attempt proves futile – counter-productive, even. The next morning, the manna they have stored is rancid and full of maggots (16:20). Imagine trying to dispose of that and clean your pots out in a place where water is scarce!
But for Friday, the instructions are slightly different. On this day, they are to gather enough for two days, so that they can observe Sabbath the next day. The extra food is to be baked or boiled, and will not spoil overnight (16:23).
But, inevitably, there are some slow learners. (Are they the same people who had their fingers burned trying to store manna earlier in the week?) Some of the people fail to collect enough for two days, and when they rise on the Sabbath morning, there is nothing for them to gather and eat (16:27). One hungry day, and a lesson learned.
The gift of Sabbath
